


You make me nervous

by Dopeydonut413



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Magic, Modern Day Coffee Shop AU, My Own OC Character, Sight/Senses Swap, Smut, roxanne - Freeform, she is a badass, slowish burn, tall woman, there will be smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:47:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25141873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dopeydonut413/pseuds/Dopeydonut413
Summary: Roxanne lost her memory after a bad car accident, but that's okay because her old apprentice Asra is reteaching her the magic she taught him at some point?? And they're living in his old hometown and running the coffee shop like he always wanted. But then his old friend comes by and she can't help but notice that he's cute.
Relationships: Muriel (The Arcana)/Original Character(s), Muriel (The Arcana)/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey you all, I wrote this fic for me because this is just all my desires in a fic. I posted it because it has turned out to be pretty long now, and I hope that you all might enjoy it as well. Anyway, enjoy yourselves, I certainly did ;)

Roxanne at first, had a hard time getting used to working at the magic shop. When choosing locations for the store, Asra had insisted that they have a cozier setting. Roxanne being a 6-foot and three-inch-tall woman, had trouble moving around the cramped counters without bumping into a shelf or two. Still, the cozy feeling drew many customers in. There were a few spots to drink tea and read books (provided with a small fee of course), and then there were the odds and ends they sold in the store. Few people truly believed in magic but you, of course, knew better than that. People were just too blind to see it. The shop provided tarot readings, and wards too. It was a cozy eclectic shop that served its customer basis well. Of course, to abide by fire codes there were electric lights. The cash register was one of those white fancy touch screen models.

The both of you lived in the room above the shop. Asra was from this town originally but moved away to a different town where he met you. You were told that the two of you were the best of friends before you lost your memory. There was a tragic accident, and you woke up to Asra’s face smiling at you. It was hard for you live in a town where everyone knew who you were, but you couldn’t remember them. So, the both of you decided to move here, and start a magic shop together. Apparently, you taught Asra to start with, but now he is reteaching you. It’s been hard, but you’ve gotten a lot better at it. Today marked the first month you’ve opened the shop. Today was a hard day, with the flood of customers coming in to fawn over Asra. Rumor of his handsome visage had gotten around and it brought all kinds of suitors.

Currently, Asra was talking with this rascal of a man who had been coming to the shop almost every day for the past week. He smiled and talked with you, but you could tell that Asra had captured his heart in a matter of seconds. Asra was leaning over the counter to talk with this red-haired man, so you decided to give them a bit of privacy and take out the trash in the back. The evening was cool, and you could smell rain coming over the wind. The air had an electric feeling in it, and you could tell a thunderstorm was on its way. You couldn’t wait! You walked down the back alley to the garbage bin and tossed the bag in there. After hearing the satisfying clunk, you strolled back to the rear door of the shop. Leaning against the bricks you smiled, looking up at the sky. You closed your eyes and smiled, moving here seemed to be the right decision.

You hear a the clink of a chain and a.. a sniffle? Your eyes shot open to see a what looked to be the largest German Sheppard you’d ever seen. The dog noticed you and trotted over, smiling with the tongue lolling, sitting at your feet.

Big fluffy babies were your weakness. It was two seconds before you were fawning over the big puppy wuppy. You crouched and grinned from ear to ear and started eagerly petting the dog. “Hellooo darling, and who might you be?” you held the tag in your hand, “Inneana huh? That’s a pretty name!” You pet the dog even more. There was a grunt above you and you looked up to see a hulking man standing over you.

You stood up quickly, “Oh sorry! Is this your dog?”

The stranger was about to reply when there was a long drawn out “Rooooooooooooxannnnnnnnnnnnnne!” and the back door burst open to reveal Asra, grinning ear to ear.

Asra gasped and immediately forgot about you to instead tackle the figure. “MURIEL! OH MY GOD IS THAT YOU? I MISSED YOU SO MUCH”. The man deftly catched Asra in his arms, similar to how youd gotten used to catching Asra in your own arms. “Oh, Muri how have you been?”

Muriel coughed, “Fine. I heard you were back in town”

Asra’s face lit up, “You did, oh you must meet- ROXANNE” his head snapped to you. “ROXANNE THIS IS MY FRIEND MURIEL”.

You smiled and waved politely, “Hey Asra, I think it’s going to rain soon, maybe we should get these two inside-“

“You’re right! Come on” Asra jumped out of Muriel’s arms and grabbed both you and Muriel by the wrists and dragged you both in.

She shook her wrist free, “I’ll close the door” she explained, and held the door open for the soft puppy wuppy. She closed the door behind her, keeping her eyes on Muriel and Asra as Muriel got dragged into the depths of the shop.

Asra fluttered around trying to make Muriel and Inanna comfortable, Roxanne made some

tea and flipped the sign to the store around so that it was closed. She served the tea in the shop’s varied collection of cups and grabbed a bowl to give Inanna some water.

Muriel’s face was dusted pink after being served tea and having to refuse Asra’s offers of blankets and food. Roxanne smiled as she brought her tea to the counter and started clearing up the shop, tucking away pastries, putting away the money from the register in the safe, cleaning the counter and washing the dishes. The whole time she eyed Asra and Muriel in the corner of the shop. Asra seemed to be filling Muriel in on details of his life, and occasionally questioning Muriel about his. Muriel seemed to ease after a while, clearly comfortable and enjoying talking with Asra. Roxanne swore she saw him shove a small bracelet into his hands, it looked like the one he had given her. She looked at her wrist. It was simple cord with symbols carved into the beads on it. Apparently, she had shown him how to make them when she, well when she remembered. Asra tied it around Muriel’s wrist.

Eventually she came up to the two of them, “Okay boys, all that’s left is wiping the tables and stacking the chairs to mop the floor. Help me out”, she tossed Asra the rag and the cleaner.

Asra smiled, “want to stack the chairs on the tables after I clean them?” he looked to Muriel

Muriel nodded and stood his full height. Roxanne’s eyes followed; she didn’t realize that he was taller than her. That was different.

“Great! I’ll grab the mop!” Roxanne smiled and ran into the back room.

The three of them finished in record time. Asra pushed Inanna, Muriel and Roxanne up the stairs, “go on up! I’ll join you in a minute”.

Muriel humpfed a bit but obliged and followed Roxanne up the steps.

When they reached the top, Roxanne held out her arms, “Welcome to our humble abode!”

The room was a studio room. There were floor cushions and a coffee table in one corner near a small kitchenette, clearly what was designated as the dining room, folded clothes in one corner, dirty clothes in a pile by the bathroom door, and two full sized mattresses pushed together in the other corner.

Muriel swallowed, “it’s nice”.

Roxanne laughed. “Usually people are shocked at how little we have, especially since everything is so furnished downstairs”.

Muriel looked at the mattresses, “are you and Asra together?”

Laughter erupted from the stair well as the white-haired man bobbed up the stairs with a paper bag in hand. “Business partners!” he declared. Asra grinned and stroked Roxanne’s cheek, “and very dear friends”.

Roxanne rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I was thinking this might be a perfect time to celebrate our first month of successful business! Plus, the return of a friend” She grinned at Muriel.

“Yes! It’s time for boooooooze” Asra chanted. He opened his bag, “I have snacks!” he moved to the table and pulled out the day-old pastries. “Roxanne be a dear and make us some drinks!”

The tall woman smiled, after all, she was good at this. She moved towards the kitchenette and started pulling out all sorts of liquids out of the fridge and freezer. Eventually she brought a large pitcher of liquid to their table. Muriel sat stiffly at it while Asra tried to shove pasties in his direction.

Asra looked at the pitcher, “and what have you concocted darling?”

“Beer, lemon juice, apple cider and vodka”.  
Muriel raised an eyebrow.  
“Don’t worry, it’s better than you think it is” Roxanne smiled and poured three glasses. “To happy memories!” she shouted and raised her glass.

“Yes to happy memories! May many come our way!” Asra joined.

The three of them clinked their glasses together. The evening flowed easily after that. The three of them played card games, and Inanna sat herself between Muriel and Roxanne, eventually putting her head in Roxanne’s lap. Asra became progressively more handsy with the two of them, and Muriel’s smiles seemed to appear more easily. Roxanne now noticed a pair broken pair of handcuffs around his wrists.

It was around ten pm when the rain started to pour against the window.

Roxanne laughed gleefully, “WOW Look at that!”, and ran to the window. Light flashed across the sky, and giggles erupted from her belly. 

Asra stood with a smile, “Oh it’s time”

Roxanne ran downstairs and out the door and opened her arms to the sky as she approached the street. She closed her eyes and let the rain wash over her and drench her clothes.

Asra pulled Muriel to the window of the shop to watch Roxanne through the windows. “She’s a nut about thunderstorms” he explained.

Roxanne started to dance in the rain. Slow, intentful movements at first, that ended up in cheerful bouncy movements across the sidewalk. She pointed to Muriel and Asra and beckoned them to join her. Lightning cracked across the sky, and thunder followed. 

She closed her eyes, smile on her face as she moved her wet hair out of her face. 

She saw black. Then she saw a young woman drenched by the rain through a doorway

Her eyes snapped open to see Muriel staring through the open doorway. “Wait Asra, maybe I shouldn’t go out, my vision just turned black for a second-“

“NONSENSE!” Countered Asra.

Roxanne smiled and ran up the doorway, she grabbed both Asra and Muriel and dragged them out into the rain with her, “Come see the glory of nature!”

Roxanne held both of their hands and spun them drunkenly in a circle, laughing the whole time. Asra laughed with her, and Muriel, finally giving in, echoed their laughter.

Roxanne gasped, and stopped the circle, “ASRA! You didn’t tell me his laugh was beautiful!” She started poking Muriel trying to get him to laugh.

Muriel laughed uncontrollably before grabbing her hands and holding him at bay, with a frown on his face.

Asra grinned, “You ought to be careful though, He gets a little grumpy” before he started tickling Muriel instead.

Muriel groaned and the three of them engaged in an all out war, that ended up with the two men trapping Roxanne and tickling her.

“ENOUGH ENOUGH!” She cried after struggling. They let go of her and she smirked instead and bolted towards the shop, running up the stairs, “I GOT FIRST PICK OF THE CLEAN TOWELS”.

After a bit of struggle, everyone took off their wet clothes and was dried off. Muriel had to borrow some of Roxanne’s clothes. She thought he kinda looked good in short shorts and a baggy tee. They sat down for more tea.

Muriel cleared his throat, “ I should probably get going”.

Asra shook his head, “Nonsense! Sleep here tonight!”

Muriel looked around, “Where would I-“

“With us! In the corner” Asra looked to Roxanne for confirmation and she nodded while trying to pat dry her long hair.

“It should be warm with the four of us” she added.

“No I should go” Muriel interjected.

Asra looked to Roxanne and the nodded in unison and put down their teas. They moved toward Muriel and after a scuffle pulled him into their mattresses with them. Inneana followed happily. Asra wrapped blankets around the three of you, and Roxy wiggled closer to Muriel to allow room for Innenana with them.

Muriel blushed slightly, he didn’t expect to be covered in warm bodies this evening, but he had to admit… this was nice.

They all fell asleep in each other’s arms. Smiles on their stupid drunk faces.


	2. Chapter 2

Muriel woke to the smell of flour. He opened his eyes and looked around. Asra had snuggled up to his side in the night. The other two were nowhere to be seen. Muriel smiled at Asra for a moment, his sleeping face was delightfully peaceful. He was mad about him leaving, but to see him come back with so much life and passion in him? It warmed his heart. And the best part was that he came back. And his roommate… seemed okay. She and Asra were an intimidating team.

Pain erupted in his fingertips and he stared at his arm, the arm tensing. Then the pain started to fade away. Downstairs he heard loud “FUCK” and then the sound of running water. He raised an eyebrow and slipped out of Asra’s arms to creep down the stairs. He found Inanna sitting at the entrance to the back kitchen of the shop. She trotted over happily to Muriel, and sniffed him He crouched, petted her, and whispered, “You seem to be interested in her”.

Roxanne leaned back to look through the doorway, “Good morning!” She said with a smile. She was holding a wet towel to her right hand. Muriel stood and Roxanne had to stifle a giggle.

Muriel looked at her weirdly, “What?”

Roxanne shook her head, “It’s stupid, I just forgot you were wearing my clothes”.

Muriel looked down, and rolled his eyes, and turned his face away, “Perhaps I should go change my clothes..”

Roxanne shrugged, “The shop’s not going to open for a couple hours anyway”.   
“You’re covered in flour”

The woman’s eyes shot open and dove for the oven “Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no.” She

pulled out a dark brown set of cookies. “Well, there goes that batch… but you know, that’s breakfast!”

Muriel looked around the kitchen, there was a huge pile of cookies, and some scones, and an even larger pile of dishes. He moved the dishes around and began to wash them.   
“Muriel! You don’t have to do that, I can do that later-“

“I’m helping” he announced.

She hung her head, “t-thank you”. She continued her process of throwing in batches of cookies, taking them out, and taking the last batch off the previous pan. She only had two flat sheets and a small oven to work with. When Muriel finished she had a cup of tea ready for him, and some slightly burnt cookies. “Thank you for helping”, she sipped a cup of tea but she kept her first two fingers off the cup.

“you burned your fingers”

“Aren’t you perceptive? I did”

“Medical kit?”

“Upstairs”

“Come on then” Muriel clambered up the stairs and Roxanne begrudgingly followed him.

Asra was still asleep. “Where?” Muriel mouthed at her.

She nodded towards the bathroom.

He rolled his eyes, and went into the bathroom to grab his slightly damp clothes and the first aid kit, which he found behind the mirror. He came out and thrust the kit into her hands and went back into the bathroom to change his clothes. When he came out, Roxanne was grumpily cleaning and taking care of her burns.

Muriel knelt next to Asra’s sleeping form. He poked him. Asra murmured, “No it’s sleepy time”.

Muriel cleared his throat and poked him again, “Asra, I’m going now”.

Asra jolted awake, “Wait what?” he looked around at in shock at the amount of sunlight in the room, “Wait what time is it?”

“It’s about 7:30” Roxanne chimed in.   
“ROXANNE WHY DIDN’T YOU WAKE ME?? WE NEED TO BAKE” Asra popped up but Muriel pushed him back down.

“She already took care of that”

“Muriel helped!”

Asra noticed Muriel’s clothes, “You’re leaving?”

Muriel nodded.

“No. I mean, I would like to see where you’re living, if Roxanne doesn’t mind my absence for a little bit?” He looked over to her.

“I can handle the shop” she agreed. She got up and went over to the clean clothes pile and picked out something to wear. She took off her shirt, and put on a bra on her way over to the dirty clothes pile and threw her flour covered shirt into the masses.

Muriel stared at her, why didn’t she care about taking off her shirt in front of- he looked at Asra and realized that if what he told him was correct, and that he had taught her everything after she lost her memory… she would have absolutely no qualms about being naked in front of friends.

“I expect dinner tonight though” she added as she descended the steps.

Asra hopped up and got dressed as well. He didn’t even care to be in the bathroom, he just

threw everything off and put on an outfit. “Okay let’s go Muriel”.

Roxanne waved to them as they walked out, she had fully opened the shop and was helping a customer.

The pair of them and Inanna cut through town. Asra’s face became more and more worried as they approached the woods. Finally, they arrived as a small hut that looked homemade. “Muriel… it’s the same place we lived in before”.

Muriel nodded, “I’ve made a few repairs but yes. Home is still home”.

Asra frowned, “Muriel. You don’t have to live like this. You deserve better”

Muriel shook his head, “No. I… don’t. I’ve hurt people I … I shouldn’t live in society” he rubbed the broken handcuffs around his wrists.

“Everyone has their place in society, Muriel. Also, you were forced to hurt those people. You did what you had to do. What anyone would have done”

Muriel shut down. He sat on the floor, not looking at Asra.

Asra knelt next to him, “didn’t you have fun with us last night? You deserve a nice bed to sleep in. You deserve to go to sleep every night with a smile on your face. You deserve a place for you to live and thrive”. He looked at him, “Are you alive here?”

Muriel frowned and stared at the ground, “I was… until you left”. He looked up at Asra with painfilled eyes. “I know I wasn’t enough for you” he muttered.

“No!” Asra took Muriel by the shoulders, “It was never you. I had dreams, Muriel. The reason I stayed so long was because of how much you mean to me. When I left I thought that if I chased after my dreams you would follow your own” His eyes welled full of tears, “I’m not going to leave you alone again. That was stupid of me”

Muriel wrapped his arms around Asra and hugged him close. “I can’t say I want you to go, but I also don’t want to hold you back” he murmured into Asra’s white hair.

“Nonsense. Come live with us, Muriel”

They separated, “No, I can’t do that, what about your shop”

“NONSENSE. We could use an extra hand”

“what about… Roxanne? She might not be safe with me around-“

Asra belly laughed. “You’re worried about Roxanne’s safety?” He fell on the floor. “Muriel, she’s the largest lady I’ve ever met. She’s over six feet tall”

Muriel had to think about that, he did fit into her clothes.

“Besides, you didn’t get to meet her before the accident. Roxanne could take on the world. She’s the most powerful magic user I ever met, not that she needed magic as she knew how squash anyone in a fight”

Muriel looked a little bewildered, “But then won’t you think she’ll mind me coming into your space and”

“Muriel. She took me in when I first moved away. She plucked me off the streets and saved me. I know that she would take you in without a doubt”.

The giant man still looked troubled.

Asra grinned and stood up, “Let’s grab your things and move you in with us”

Muriel gently nodded.

Roxanne was humming while standing at the counter, eating a burnt cookie and staring off at the sunny day outside. The front door to the shop was open, just a lightweight screen door in way to keep bugs out. Asra came in first, holding a bunch of cooking utensils and wooden bowls. He waved at Roxanne as he sprinted up the stairs. Muriel was a minute or two behind, as he was carrying a bunch of clothes and an old dog bed. Muriel didn’t want to meet her gaze, as he was still unsure of whether this was okay or not. She ran out behind the counter to help him, and instead said, “Welcome Home, Muriel”.


	3. Chapter 3

Everything was a struggle with Muriel, at least, in terms of trying to get him to take care of himself. At first he wouldn’t sleep with Roxanne and Asra on the bed, until they had to wrestle him down together. He wouldn’t take their food until Roxanne threated to force-feed him. He was even upset about the prospect of using their shower until Asra took him in there and they showered together. His skin was bright pink from assumed scrubbing and possibly embarrassment. Roxanne took Inanna into the bath after those two were done. Muriel had never seen Inanna so fluffy once she was dry.

On the third day while they were eating, Roxanne said she had enough and braided Muriel’s hair out of his face. He didn’t want to admit that he could see a lot better. They settled into a rhythm. Muriel would help Roxanne with baking in the morning, while Asra opened the shop. Then it was chaos. Muriel would tend to stick to the back room and make tea when orders for it came in. He would also fetch things from the back storeroom when people came in looking for specific dried flowers or spices. Muriel also offered to forage for things people might be interested in, so he also went out for a few hours during the day a couple days a week to go find things. Both Roxanne and Asra understood that dealing with people was hard for him, and so he would also go upstairs to the apartment when things were overwhelming. At the end of the day the three of them would close up shop and make dinner together upstairs. Sometimes there was a card game, but in the end they would all end the day in their bed on the floor. Asra took the middle most nights and usually cuddled with Muriel, not that Roxanne minded, she and Inanna had become fast friends and snuggled most nights.

Muriel felt guilty about this again. He felt like he was taking Asra away from Roxanne, but she never seemed to care. He couldn’t tell if she was genuinely happy, or if it was a façade she put up. If it was, it was convincing.

Today though, something interrupted their rhythm. After closing Asra came upstairs looking a little worried. Roxanne saw it immediately, “What’s up Asra?”

The white haired man blushed, “Well I… Julian… Julian asked me out on a date tonight..”

She quirked her head, “isn’t that a good thing?”

“Yes well, I was unsure if I could just leave you guys like that… If I go I might not be home tonight” he looked between Muriel and Roxanne.

Roxanne laughed, “ooooooooh Asra’s going to get some!” she started preparing dinner.

“Stop it! I’m concerned, I feel bad”

“Well stop feeling bad” Muriel dead-panned.

“Muriel and I will enjoy your absence”, Roxanne teased. The two of them had gotten good at tag-team teasing Asra.

Asra looked worried, “Are you sure?”

“Yes. You two have been flirting since before I moved in, just go spend time with each other” Muriel said as he pulled out plates.

“Okay! Okay!” Asra started running around getting ready for his date. When he was ready, he kissed Muriel and then Roxanne goodbye. Muriel blushed slightly at this. “Okay! I’ll see you both tomorrow!” he grinned and ran out the door.

Roxanne finished making dinner and the two of them ate in peaceful silence. They played cards, however Muriel couldn’t help but glance at the door every few minutes, in hopes of Asra. Roxanne noticed, “Hey it’s okay. He’s having a great time. I trust Julian”.

Muriel’s shoulders still remained taught.

She squeezed his shoulders and he couldn’t help but breath in a little quickly as she did so. She quickly took her hands away. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt”

“itfeltnice” Muriel spat out.

“Did you say it felt nice?” Sudden realization crossed her features, “Muriel have you ever had someone give you a shoulder massage?”

“uh… no..” he looked away shyly.

“Can I give you one?” She moved over closer to him.

“I g-guess so”

“Okay! I’m just going to sit behind you, and touch your shoulders, okay?”

He nodded.

Roxanne got to work. She started with a hand on each side and worked her way towards the middle. He remained tense but eventually relaxed into her touch. He could feel warmth pouring into his muscles from her hands. She at first only used her thumbs to knead into his skin, but then started using the palm of her hand. Unconsciously, he leaned back into her touch seeking the positive feeling she provided. His eyes fluttered shut, he wasn’t sure he ever experienced anything so.. so.. he couldn’t put it into words. When she finished she lightly kissed the middle of his back, where the shoulder blades came together.

“So! What do you think?” she asked, pushing him back into an upright sitting position.

His eyes drifted open, “it was… it was very uh nice”.

She grinned at him, and began to take off her clothes, “I’m glad you liked it. I’m going to” she stared at his sudden inability to look at her. She began putting her clothes back on, “Sorry, I forgot about how you don’t like seeing my body. I’m going to shower” she stood up and began to walk towards the bathroom.

“It’s not that I don’t like seeing it. I’ve just never seen a naked woman before… and I thought it was rude to look” he muttered quickly.

She paused and looked confused. “Have you ever seen anyone naked besides Asra?”

“N-no”

“What’s so different about my body compared to Asra’s?”

“Nothing! I mean, no there’s a lot, I just mean that usually its rude and I don’t want to be rude or seem like a pervert”

“You’re not. I admit, I haven’t known anything else other than Asra, and I think you’re right that it’s different out there, that usually people are more ashamed of their bodies. But what I like is that I don’t have to be here. I like my body. And you should be comfortable with yours too! I notice that you always go into the bathroom to change. Obviously do what you’re comfortable with” she moved over to Muriel and cupped his cheek, “But you should know you’re beautiful Muri”. She grinned and walked away, taking off her shirt again, “I’ve also never seen anyone but Asra naked though, so we’re in this together”. She walked into the bathroom and left the door open, although Muri couldn’t see inside, he could see her hand extend outside the frame after a few minutes and drop a pile of clothing outside the door. She started the shower, and hopped in.   
Muriel, deep red, stared at the table. He thought about seeing Roxanne naked and his whole body flushed. He already noticed his eyes lingering on things about her that they never did with Asra. He thought about the way she looked into his eyes and called him beautiful. His heart pumped a little faster. Was this really okay?

Later she came out in a towel and Muriel ran in to shower after her. Once they were both dry they sat down on the bed.

“We don’t have to get up to bake tomorrow, right?” Muriel asked her.

“No. We don’t” She looked over at him while brushing out her hair, “Unless you really want to. But personally, I’m ready to sleep in”.

He nodded. “That sounds nice”

She set down the brush, and turned towards him, “Do you want space? Or I can hold you the way you hold Asra if you want a change”.

Muriel’s face turned a bright pink. He stammered out, “I-I don’t know”.

She shrugged and laid down on the bed, “well if you decide you want to, I am over here. Although I will warn you that Inneana seems to enjoy jumping into my arms these days, so you should make your decision soon.”

Muriel reclined and stared up at the ceiling. “Oh. The lights” he muttered after a minute.

Roxanne yawned, “Oh don’t worry about it” she held her hand up and focused for a second. Then she snapped and the lights went out.

Muriel gaped at the dark ceiling. Asra did mention she had powerful magic.

“How did you do that?”

She shrugged, sleep had enclosed tendrils around her, “it’s magic”.

“can I still take you up of your offer?”

“Hmm? Yes, come here”

He shifted over, unsure on the bed, but her arms found his torso and pulled him to her.

“Goodnight Muriel” She murmured into his neck.

“Goodnight… Roxanne”

Muriel was shocked by the amount of love and warmth he could feel from her. Her body heat enveloped him, and he was warm and safe. He closed his eyes and he could feel a swirling mass of colors seep into his skin. He felt at peace.


	4. Chapter 4

Sun’s rays woke Muriel. Inanna had curled up against Muriel’s front during the night. Roxanne’s arms still enveloped him. Although her hair was all over her face and her legs were tangled in some blankets. He twisted around and moved the hair off her face. She looked so peaceful… she usually got up earlier than anyone else because of baking. She didn’t have a care in the world this morning though. He laid his head down on the pillow, and watched her breathe for a while, and then drifted back to sleep again.

Asra walked happily towards the shop. It was closed, but he knew it would be, after all, this was their collective day off. He unlocked the door and bounced over to the stairs. He paused, as it was strange, he didn’t hear any sounds coming from upstairs. Maybe they went out?

He tiptoed up the steps, and much to his surprise, the bed wasn’t empty. Sneaking over to investigate, he found Roxanne and Muriel wrapped up in each other’s arms. Inanna’s eyes shot open and she looked at Asra but calmed down after realizing who it was. She carefully extricated herself from the pile of blankets, and wagged her way to Asra, expecting love and pets. Asra scratched her head, “I wonder if they did anything naughty together… might explain why they’re still sleeping at 11 am!” he whispered to her. “I guess I should wake them up, huh?” he asked the fluffy puppy and she lolled her tongue in agreement. She was hungry.

Asra removed his coat and shoes and then launched himself at the two sleeping giants, aiming for the middle. “Good Morning!” he said in his brightest sun shiny voice that he could muster.

Muriel groaned and rolled onto his back. Roxanne just muttered in the smallest, sleepiest voice, “good morning, Asra.”

Muriel stretched and opened his eyes, “How did it go with Julian?”

“Yes, how did it go?” came a muffled voice from the pillow.

“NO. Not like this! Come on! Everyone awake, it’s 11 am. You all need food, and light!” Asra jumped out of the bed.

Muriel sat up, and wiped the grime from his eyes.

“Make me” Roxanne groaned.

Asra ran over to the switch to turn on the lights. He noticed the plastic on the switch was cracked and there was a small divet in the floor. He carefully turned the switch on and then walked over to Muriel. “I have a feeling she used magic last night didn’t she?”

Muriel nodded, although a bit inquisitively.

“get her to the table will you? I’ll start making food, getting food in her usually makes her less grouchy”

The giant man looked at his sleeping compatriot, was she really grouchy? He carefully wrapped his arms around her again, and she sighed happily in reply, until he started pulling on her and trying to move her. Then the groaning started.

“Nooo!” her sleepy form yelled. She struggled and reached for the bed. Muriel had trouble but he got her to the table with a lot of curse words from her. She humphed angryily partly because she was out of bed when she didn’t want to be, but also because she was too tired to fight it. Asra swooped in with a spoonful of yogurt. She perked up as she tasted the food and started eating hungrily.

Asra tutted and went about making food for everyone else. Once everyone ate he leaned back and smiled at the two of them. Muriel pet Inanna and Roxanne kept going back to the fridge for more yogurt, still grumpy.

“So… I see you used magic on the lightswitch” Asra ventured. “Judging by how long you slept in, and your grumpy demeanor, you used magic on something else” Asra leaned in, “Or perhaps someone else”.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Roxanne said curtly.

Muriel looked surprised. He couldn’t have predicted this grumpy side of herself.

“Oh please” Asra countered, “when you expend too much magic you sleep in late and you turn into a sour grumpy guss that turns Ravenous. I mean, that’s the second container of yogurt you’re working on!”

She huffed. “All I did was turn the lightswitch off, and I’m sorry that I cracked the switch but maybe if you let me use my magic more often, we wouldn’t have this problem”

The man and his dog started to inch away from the table.

“Roxanne we went over this, it’s too much for you to control right now”

“How am I supposed to learn to control it, without letting it go out of control first? You learn to bake by making mistakes, it should be the same thing with magic!”

“This isn’t like burning cookies Roxanne, you need to be careful. You could hurt someone, you could hurt yourself”, he reached for her hand but she yanked it away.

“I did not overuse my magic, I just flipped the damn switch! And look it’s intact!”

“BARELY. And you did not just use your magic for the switch”

“And what else did I use my magic on?” she asked incredulously.

“Well look at him” Asra gestured to Muriel.

Muriel had been inching away from their squabble until they both looked at him. His face snapped to them. “What?”

“What about him? He’s looks great” She humphed again and crossed her arms.

“Look at his face!” Asra ran over and tilted Muriel’s head towards her.

“Asra what’s wrong with my face?” Muriel looked panicked up at him, and then at Roxanne.

“Yeah, Asra what’s wrong with his face?” She demanded.

“His skin! It’s glowing! He almost never sleeps well. He gets lots of weird dreams” Asra turned to Muriel, “Did you dream at all last night?”

“No” Muriel started, “But I did see some swirly colors when I was falling asleep”.

“Lots of purples, reds, greens, blues and oranges?” Asra asked.

“Yes but I don’t see what that has to do with Roxanne-“

She groaned and leaned her head on the table, “Oh no”

Asra laughed, “HaHAA! Knew it!”

“Would someone care to explain what happened?”

Roxanne flopped onto the floor.

Asra chuckled, “You see Muriel, Roxanne’s magic, when it manifests in someone’s minds eye appears as a large swath of colors because her magic constantly adapts to her surroundings. It’s part of the reason she’s such a powerful magic user. I think, she heard me talking about you not getting enough sleep yesterday and subconsciously tried to fix that in her sleep. You should go take a look in the mirror, I don’t think I’ve ever seen your face without bags under them”.

Muriel hopped to his feet and went into the bathroom. Asra was right. He thought back to last night. He wasn’t sure that he ever slept that well in his life. He felt like he had an abundance of energy.

“I’m sorry Muriel” Roxanne called from the floor.

“I’m going to have to remake that magic seal on you, since you busted it open last night” Asra stooped over her and pulled an amulet from around her neck. He inspected it, “Thankfully it’s not too bad”.

Muriel blushed inside the bathroom. Truthfully, he didn’t mind the way she held him, and he appreciated the reprieve from the dreams. After Asra removed her necklace he could feel an electric surge in the air. The area had the feeling of low pressure before a storm. He came out of the bathroom, “Do you guys feel that?”

Asra nodded, “That’s her magic recharging. Without the seal it’s recharging a lot faster”. He was making quick work of the amulet. Roxanne had flipped onto her back and wiggled her fingers in the air. He could see the grumpy mood lifting from her face. She had the faintest smile.

“Asra” she purred, “You never told us what happened on your date”.

“Hang on! Almost done”, after another minute or so Asra dropped the amulet around her neck and she stopped smiling.

“Rude I was enjoying that” she grinned anyway.

Muriel cautiously approached the table. He wasn’t sure if he liked this Julian, but Roxanne seemed to trust him, and he couldn’t deny his curiosity. He never had been on a date, much less heard about one.

Asra told them the sordid details of the affair. Dinner, a movie, a long romantic walk, then some hijinx as they went dumpster diving and ran away from an angry store owner. “Then we stayed at his place” he finished.   
“What? That’s it? You didn’t kiss or have sex or anything” Roxanne asked, hanging onto every word.

Muriel turned a bright pink at that comment. He looked at her, she seemed so interested in those topics, maybe she had a desire to try them herself?

“Maybe” Asra winked at her.

Roxanne laughed, “HA FINALLY! I knew it allllll along” she teased. “You two were always heading for this, since the first moment you saw each other”.

Asra smiled bashfully, “Anyway! That what happened with me. What happened with you guys?”

Roxanne stared at the clock on the wall. With a jolt she shot up, “Sorry! I just realized that the place closes in an hour, I gotta go” she quickly grabbed her wallet, shoes, jacket and ran down the stairs, “I’ll be back in a bit” she yelled.

“I wonder what that was about” Muriel wondered aloud.

Asra shrugged, “Apparently she had something in mind to do today. Did you two do anything fun last night?”

Muriel looked to the side, trying to remember. “Uhm, well, she gave me a back massage, and we played cards and had dinner”.

“And?”

“And nothing. We went to bed after that” Muriel looked questioningly over at him, “What were you expecting?”

“Nothing!~” Asra grinned. “Shall we go to the laundromat while she’s out?”

Muriel shrugged, “Why not?”

The rest of the day was smooth sailing. When Muriel and Asra came back they found a new pile of clothes sitting on the table. Roxanne had bought Muriel some more clothes from a thrift shop. She noticed his clothes were old and frayed and while she couldn’t buy him brand new stuff, this would have to do for now. Muriel smiled softly at her choices. She picked a few dark green pieces for him, nothing that he wouldn’t be uncomfortable in. Some tees, a few pairs of basketball shorts and underwear as well. He blushed and said thank you. She ruffled his hair and they spent the rest of the day lounging about, folding laundry and laughing at dumb jokes. This time though when they went to bed at night, Muriel and Roxanne, still in their separate pairs, slept back to back.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know it says Chapter 5: Chapter 5 at the top but honestly I did it for the chaotic aesthetic, you're welcome.

Asra went out with Julian a few more times, Roxanne clinging for every detail he would spare. Muriel and Roxanne felt more comfortable with each other the more time they spent alone. They compromised on Roxanne’s lack of shirt, she wore a sports bra around the apartment, and Muriel got used to seeing more of her skin. As the nights grew hotter, he also shed his shirt. This particular night, a heat wave rolled through town. It felt sticky and gross. Muriel, Roxanne, and Inanna all lay on the cold linoleum of the kitchen floor, Roxanne in a sports bra and shorts, Muriel in a pair of Basketball shorts she bought him two weeks ago.

Innana panted heavily on the linoleum.

“I’m sorry poor girl… I know it’s hot” Roxanne lightly stroke her nose.

“Usually we’d go douse ourselves in the creek” Muriel added.

“Well make we should all go take a cold shower?”

“It might make Inanna more comfortable, but you and I will just heat up again”

“Okay okay okay so!” Roxanne flipped to look over at the other two, “We give our darling girl a cold wet dousing. And then we sit in cold water in the tub”.

“That.. could work”.

They got to work. They took the nozzle and put Inanna into the tub, and wet her down. After she looked much happier. Muriel and Roxanne cleaned the tub and then then both sat in it, and let the cold water run. They both had legs sticking out on the side, but at least they could press their backs against the cool shower wall.

Roxanne hissed as the water level reached her hooha. “I can’t tell if that feels amazing or is bad” she panted.

Muriel looked at her in confusion.

“Just wait until it reaches your genitals, you’re sitting higher in the tub, it’s coming”

And it did. Muriel nodded, it felt weird. But the overall effect was amazing. After getting used to it, they both relaxed and melded into the sides of the tub.

After a while Muriel piped up, “Why do you like hearing about Asra’s dates so much?”

“Hmm?” She rubbed her chin in thought, “I guess I just want something similar someday” she said at last. “I would love to go on a date”.

Muriel looked over at her, “Why?”

“I guess it’s kind of selfish, but I want to be with someone who thinks I’m the most beautiful thing in the world. Someone who can help me create a space where we both belong because we love each other more than anything”, she sighed heavily. “It feels like a stupid thing to say, especially because it’s so narcissistic, but I guess I just want to know there’s someone looking out for me, and I can look after them as well” She stared over at Muriel, as if just remembering she hadn’t opened up this much to Muriel before, “Sorry”.

Muriel looked away in thought. He exhaled after a long drawn out moment, “Sounds nice.”

Roxanne stared at his leg, “I noticed you have a fair number of scars, along with the broken handcuffs around your wrists”

The large man stiffened. He held his breath. He didn’t look at her.

She continued, looking at her own legs, “They’re as mysterious to me as the scars on my own body” she twisted her hip and lifted her shorts a bit to show him.

Muriel moved rigidly like a rusty tin man in need of oiling to look at her. He gulped and looked at her scar. It was thick ridge of scar tissue about four inches long, just below her hip. His eyes soaked in the sight of her exposed skin.

“Im sorry, do you want to talk about something else?”

Muriel gave a brief nod and cleared his throat, “Have you thought of trying to sell anything frozen at the shop? With all the hot weather, people might want to buy something cold”. Great, business, Muriel. She’s open and vulnerable with you and talk about business.

They discussed options for things in the shop. Iced tea, slushies, ice cream.

The two of them eventually dragged themselves out of the tub and to bed. They curled up in the bed, back to back, Roxannes long wet hair between the two of them to cool each other down.

In the dark, Muriel closed his eyes and whispered, “Roxanne?”

She hummed, “Yes?”

“I’m sorry I’m not ready to talk about it. Bad things happened. I did bad things” his voice choked and he took long breaths and he tried to calm down the welling thing in his throat.

Roxanne turned around and wrapped her arms around him. Muriel choked on the tears running down his cheeks.

“Muriel, you are loved. Please don’t forget that. Asra, Inanna and I all love you”

“No I don’t- I don’t deserve”

“YES. Yes you do” She lightly traced his shoulder. “People change, I don’t know what happened before, but the Muriel I have gotten to know deserves all the love in the world. He’s gentle, he’s kind. You’ve got a beautiful soul” she hugged him tighter.

Muriel began to breathe again. “Why are you so nice to me?”

She traced patterns on his shoulder again.

“You hardly know me. Yet you accepted me with so much kindness”

“Pain has strong arms” She said simply. She planted a kiss on his back, the same way she had done with after giving him a shoulder massage. “Mine are stronger” She held her breath, waiting.

Muriel slowly turned his head to look at her a slow groan developing in his throat.

She burst into a bout of giggles, “Sorry I Couldn’t resist”

“How you start a sentence with something so poetic but then ruin the pure beauty with a BAD joke?” he asked incredulously.

“It’s a talent of mine” She cooed.

“Stop being so affectionate” he tried to push her off. “It’s hard enough to endure normally, but with the heat it’s just sticky and gross”.

“What do you mean endure?” She asked in feigned offense. “I am much better to cuddle than Asra”

“What I didn’t mean”

“Objectively, I’m softer, I’m larger, certainly smell better sometimes” She rolled her eyes, “I am an a grade cuddler”.

“But you’re worse to cuddle. IF I attempted what you ah, what you do with me I’d” he closed his eyes and said flatly, “I’d get a face full of hair”

Roxanne laughed, “Okay good point. You are right though, it is too hot though”. She flipped so they were back to back again, “I guess this will have to do”

Muriel hummed. “Goodnight”

“Goodnight” Roxanne whispered.

In the dark, just before she fell asleep, she felt a large hand trail down her arm and squeeze her hand gently. A small thank you, she guessed. She squeezed back.


	6. Chapter 6

The day wound down to a close. The three of them hurried around the shop to close. They knew that Asra was going out on another date that night. Something about going to Netflix and Chill? Muriel had a plan anyway. He knew it was going to rain this evening. He overheard a customer talk about it today. As soon as Asra left, he threw some food and the first aid kit in a bag.

“Put your coat on” he instructed Roxanne.

“What? She asked in confusion.

“Put your stuff on, I’m taking you somewhere”

She followed instructions, but hesitantly. She followed him through own and to the forest. He wove through the trees without a second thought, Roxanne stumbled after him. After a while, they entered a large clearing. A small meadow. The sky rumbled above them, the clouds were ready to burst at any point. They just had yet to do so.

“Close your eyes”

She looked at him for a second, and then closed them.

He walked up behind her, “Feel the energy in the air” he whispered and folded down the collar of her shirt. “Keep calm, and think of a constructive outlet. Something beautiful, something precious”. He lifted the amulet off her neck and over her head. “I’m going to go sit on the edge of the clearing, when I say go, let it go, don’t go wild but let it pour out of you”.

Her body became rigid, Muriel crept away. “Go ahead” He projected across the field.

She opened her mouth, blue smoke poured out of it and pooled by her feet. The air became more static. She raised a single hand and pointed it at the sky. Colored light curled out in three dimensions around her. It surrounded her, creating a bright multicolor thicket around her. Her mouth stopped leaking smoke and the air became more normal. The heavens opened above her. The rain pelted her and she welcomed the sensation. The colored thicket faded and she collapsed to her knees.

Muriel came running up behind her. “Roxanne are you okay?”

She nodded, “Thank you, I feel good” She looked up at him. Her eyes had a spark that they hadn’t before.

He closed his eyes. He could still feel magic radiating out of her, but it felt controlled, tame, happy.

She stood up with a bounce, “Wow I suddenly have so much more energy!”

Muriel grabbed her hand, “No stop, calm down. Asra… he told me that your magic a reflection of you. If you stay calm, it will stay calm, but it you feel out of control, it will be as well. Just sit with me for a bit.” He sat down in the grass and looked up at her.

She sat down after staring at him for a moment.

Muriel then laid back on the wet grass and let the rain soak him to the bone. She joined him until they both were shivering with the cold. He put the pendant back on her and they went back to the shop.

When they got back to the shop, Roxanne pushed him into the bathroom and told him to shower first, she would make tea. Eventually they both were freshly clean, with warm clothing and a cup of tea in hand.

Roxanne finally felt more comfortable with Muriel. She felt like she could relax a little- which means she could annoy him. She lay in the bed wrapped up in blankets- despite the tea and the hot shower she still felt a little cold in her core.

“Muriellllll” she whined from the bed, curled around Inanna.

He looked over at her while he washed dishes- “Yes Roxanne?”

“I’m cold- Inanna’s not enough”

The large animal snuffed and wiggled away from her grasp.

“Noooooo Inanna come back”

Muriel chuckled, “That’s what you get”

“Murielllllll” She whined louder.

Inanna sat next to Muriel as he rinsed the last dish.

Roxanne pouted from her spot on the bed. “You’re both mean”

“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do to about you being cold” He turned to her, leaning against the counter with one hand.

“Cuddle me!”

“No. If you’re cold then you are going to feel like ice and uhh” he looked to Inanna who gave a slight nod as if she approved what he was thinking, “I don’t want to deal with that” a small smirk over took his features.

Roxanne sat up to look at him, she saw the smirk on his face and realized what it was- a challenge. “Then I’ll come to you!” In a flash of movement- blankets and all- Roxanne rocked to her feet and moved towards him quickly.

“No no no no no” Muriel glanced towards the bathroom and decided to make a break for it.

Roxanne had anticipated that and intercepted him. The mass of blankets trailing behind her she lunged and latched onto Muriel, and then let herself go limp in effort to drag him to the floor- it worked.

Muriel didn’t have much time to react before he was engulfed in a pile of blankets and then suddenly was on top of Roxanne- whose legs quickly wrapped around his torso and her ice-cold fingers found their way under his shirt. He hissed at the feeling and moved to pin her arms away from him. The two of them wrestled on the floor until Muriel got the open hand when part of Roxanne’s blanket skin fell off and she curled in on herself hissing at the cold. He took the opportunity to pin her down by straddling her torso and holding her arms down to the floor. “Hah.. Got you” He smiled at her, not realizing how close their faces were.

She smirked at him, “I’m not sure about that…”

“What do you mean? I’ve got you pinned down..”

“Yeah, and isn’t that a bit” she leaned upwards to whisper in his ear, “suggestive?”

Muriel froze.

Roxanne took the opportunity to sensually lick his neck right by his ear.

The giant man suddenly turned bright red, he released her hands to wipe the saliva from his neck, he looked down at her, “You, licked me?” He asked incredulously.

She giggled and waved her free hands from him. Then in a swift motion, she shoved him off her, and reached for the blankets again.

“No no no no. You’re not going to get away with licking me!” He pulled her closer to him.

She grinned up at him, “What are you going to punish me?” she asked.

He spluttered, turning bright red again, “Stop doing that!”

“Why? It works” she grinned and crawled closer to him.

He hid his face in his knees, “It’s embarrassing”.

Roxanne softly smiled and lifted his chin with a blanketed hand, “I’ll stop if you cuddle me”.

“Fine” he grumbled as she got up and tugged him towards the bed.

She made him lie down first, and then took off the blankets, teeth chattering as she did so. Then she layered blanket after blanket on top of him. Asra and Roxanne owned about 4 blankets, and Muriel brought one- or something resembling a blanket. She quickly dove under the pile and pressed herself against him hoisting one leg over him and burying her face into his neck. He grumbled but accepted his fate.

Roxanne sighed happily as she felt the heat radiating from him. They stayed like that for a while, but then Roxanne whispered, “Why is that embarrassing?”

Muriel had looped his arms around her by this point and held her to him. His cheeks turned pink, “how is that not embarrassing?”

“Asra doesn’t-“

“Asra could have someone tell him the dirtiest thing in the world and he would just give it right back. I’m not used to anyone flirting with me- even in tease- it was… I’m not sure”.

“Im sorry I made you uncomfortable” she stroked his shoulder with a finger. “I won’t do it anymore”.

“T-thank you” he mumbled quietly.

“You should get used to it though… I’m sure that if anyone got the chance they would flirt up a storm. You’re very attractive you know..” She trailed off and squeezed him a little.   
“I thought you were going to stop flirting”

“I’m not. I’m being honest. You’re a very attractive man Muriel. You are also very kind, anybody would be lucky to have you”

Muriel was glad she couldn’t see his face. All he could think of was, _but you don’t want me, do you?_ His heart sunk a little.

She pulled her head from his neck and softly kissed his cheek, “Thank you for today”.

“You’re welcome” he muttered.


	7. Chapter 7

Muriel had weird dream. It was weird because he dreamt of Asra, naked, and then Roxanne also stripping off all her clothes. The both of them then started tugging his off as well, and they sensually kissed his neck, his shoulders, any piece of exposed skin they could find. Roxanne gasped when she saw his member and Muriel turned a bright red. She started to kiss her way down him, closer and closer to his crotch and then he woke up. He woke up because he felt something hard pressed against his ass, and warmth enveloping his back and shoulders, and an arm around his middle.

He snapped his eyes open to a faceful of hair. He realized, in the night, they shifted so that he spooned her. He flipped on his back and away from her. His back became significantly colder, but he no longer felt the thing on his ass. He looked down, then to Roxanne, and then back at the tent he was pitching. He breathed in a sigh of relief. That was lucky, that would have been awkward to explain. His own senses started to return to him, his back felt warm now. He stared at the ceiling, bringing his free hand to move the hair out of his own face.

Roxanne rolled over, “That was weird” she muttered. “I went from warm to cold very quickly”, she glanced up at his face. They made eye contact, and after a second they both frowned as their visions switched, “Wait is that me?” she groaned, “It’s happening again”.

“You’ve noticed it then?”

“Yeah it all started with the thunderstorm-“

“Wait the thunderstorm? I thought it started when you burned the cookies. I woke up in pain that morning”

Roxanne’s face fell, “That’s why I didn’t know I was burning! OH my god I’m so sorry you had to experience that”

“You’re the one who had to deal with the – okay close your eyes”

“What?”

He took a hand and covered her eyes and then covered his own, “I hate seeing myself talk”.

“Why do you think this is happening?”

“I’m not sure”

She huffed and pulled his hand off her face, “Oh, I see you again, we’re clear.” She sat up in the bed, “I’m sure this is just my magic fucking things up again. I’m sorry”.

Muriel looked at her back, “I’m- I’m sure it’ll be okay” He gingerly patted her shoulder. “Nothing bad has happened because of it”.

She nodded, “I’ll make breakfast”.

Asra came bounding home about 20 mins later, then they all opened up the shop. Asra confirmed that Muriel and he had been planning the little field thing, Asra was worried that his magic might interfere so he stayed away, but he was so happy that she was okay and that it worked. They opened up the shop, and things went on as normal.

Asra noted that Muriel stayed closer to Roxanne now though. When baking, he stood closer to her. He didn’t hesitate to reach around her to grab empty bowls, and even looked over her shoulder to see what she was working on. Muriel had committed her lemon scone recipe to memory, as he slipped her the flour before she even began to reach for it. The two of them seemed to have a new comfortable. Asra had to admit, he was a bit jealous. Watching your two best friends become best friends can sting a bit. He didn’t want to intrude, but he missed them. He couldn’t deny though his wander lust. Every day, he stared out the window. He would have to break it to her at some point. He would have to break to Muriel. The shop… wasn’t his dream. It was Roxanne’s. Or at least, it was her’s before the accident.

It was about 5:30 in the afternoon when the red-headed man bust into the shop. He stumbled in the door and caught himself with a hand on the counter, “Hello Gorgeous” he smirked and looked at Asra.

Asra returned a lukewarm smile, “Good evening, Julian.”

Julian leaned over the counter, “Is there something wrong? You seem a bit droopy”

“Is that a medical term, droopy?”

“Yes, Yes it is. Although, I think I might have the medicine right here” Julian pulled out a carefully folded brochure from his pocket and handed it over to Asra. “They’re looking for Volunteers to go abroad. Doctors” He waved to himself with a dramatic flair, “Nurses, and _English Teachers_ ” He tilted his head at Asra. “Perhaps you might know someone who can speak English Fluently”.

Asra’s eyes sparkled as he examined the creased, glossy paper, “Do you really think they would take me?”

Julian nodded, “You’d be a wonderful teacher. After all you’ve already taught me many things, how to safely let out spiders, fixing the chain on the toilet…. Giving amazing blow jobs”

You’d think that Asra would have turned bright red, but Julian did instead. Asra only laughed. “I’d have to think about this… I’m not sure if I can leave them yet.”

“They’re fully functioning adults you know” Julian pointed out.

“Yes I know, but I worry… ANYWAY, can I get you anything?”

“A slice of that ass tonight perhaps?” Julian asked, already blushing, meanwhile Asra only smiled.

Muriel and Roxanne were alone again, but neither of them really seemed to care. They knew that Asra was happy and that’s all they could really ask for. Dinner was simple, but delicious with a flair of spicy thanks to Roxanne. She had recently discovered that she loved spicy food. Asra had known all along, but didn’t like spice all that much and hid the spicier spices in the back of the cabinet when they moved in. Perhaps the most jarring aspect of it though was when Roxanne dug through the cupboard and found them- her named was printed on their sides in her own neat handwriting. After dinner she excused herself to shower.

She stared in the mirror at her own reflection, deep in thought. She still couldn’t remember anything, but those spices proved that there really was a before her. Someone who knew the story behind her scars. Naked, she peered in the mirror at a faint line across her ribcage.

Sunset. She was at the window, Innanna sitting down and leaning on her hairy knee. Wait- that knee has too many scars to be-

“ROXANNE” Muriel Growled from the kitchen “Close your eyes”

“But why there’s a beautiful sunset” her vision was forcefuly snapped to the wall beside the window.

“Please just close your eyes”

Roxanne watched his palms engulf his vision- well her vision now. She turned her head and she could audibly hear Muriel sigh from the kitchen. Roxanne closed her eyes and waited for a moment. When she opened them again, she could see the bathroom. She wrapped herself in a towel and crept out into the kitchen.

“Muriel.. Are you okay?”

Muriel looked up at her, confused. “Why are you worrying if I’m okay- Shouldn’t you be upset that I just saw you like that?” he seemed to curl in on himself. “Don’t you feel violated?” he asked quietly.

Roxanne just smiled, and kneeled before him, hand keeping the towel in place, “Muriel I don’t care if it’s you. I’m comfortable with you, and I don’t care if you see me. I’m more worried about you, since it seems to make you uncomfortable” she very lightly touched his kneecap. “So… are you okay?”

Muriel nodded very lightly, staring down at her hand. “I.. I’m sorry”. Muriel’s pinks turned pink, “I don’t… I don’t want to make you feel bad” he pushed out.

“I don’t want YOU to feel bad” she sighed. “Out of curiosity, what were you thinking about when our visions switched?”

“Nothing” Muriel lied quickly. He turned back at the window, trying to hide his pink cheeks. “I was just looking at the sunset”

She looked out the window. “It’s not scar related, is it? I was looking at my scars in the mirror, and I noticed the scars on your knee… But maybe not! I think I’m going to have to start taking notes.

The two of them spent the rest of the evening sipping cider and watching a show on the old Laptop Julian had given them-- after they had both showered of course. Asra came back that evening and the three of them nestled in together for the night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please think of this chapter as an homage to the person who posted the pumpkin bread smut fic on this tag earlier. I read it a lot and quite enjoy it, I hope if you see this, you enjoy it as well.

Asra was up to something. Muriel and Roxanne were both curious, as Asra did not often bake, that was Muriel and Roxanne’s thing. But on this slow afternoon Asra shooed them both out and took over it himself. He had a sly smiled and a plan on the brain.

Roxanne and Muriel knew what they had to do. They had to sneak a pastry when Asra wasn’t looking. It was the only obvious thing to do. Whatever it was, it seemed a bit complicated as Asra had things everywhere, bits of herbs, pumpkin guts. That made the goal all the more tantalizing. They decided that Roxanne would distract him and question him, while Muriel would pluck one off the tray for them to split later. Asra was still baking towards the end of the day, so Muriel and Roxanne closed up the shop and then invaded the kitchen.

Roxanne gasped, “Why Asra, what _are_ you making?” She set her chin on Asra’s shoulders just after he pulled a tray from the oven.

“Shhh it’s for Julian” Asra turned and kissed her on the cheek. “I just hope I got the recipe right”

“Well we closed the shop”

Muriel began collecting the pile of dishes and setting them in the sink.

“Are you going out tonight?” Roxanne asked Asra, hugging him from behind setting her chin on his shoulder.

Muriel looked at the tray, “Are these the last ones?”

Asra nodded, “Yes, and yes, sorry. I made these for Julian because he’s feeling a bit down”

Muriel stepped in front of Asra and started pulling off what looked to be loaves of bread off the tray carefully and resting them on the already half full baking rack. Muriel left two loaves on the pan but kept it from Asra’s eyes and walked towards the sink.

“Oh no” Roxanne grinned and tapped Asra’s nose, “Aren’t you just the best boyfriend in the world” she teased.

Asra smiled, “I know” he noticed Muriel starting in on the dishes, “oh I’m sorry, I’ll do those”

Muriel grunted, “No, go cheer the doctor up, the two of us got a handle on the situation”.

Asra blinked back tears, “Thank you guys, I’m sorry I feel like I’m always leaving you”

Roxanne smiled sweetly, “Asra stop. We love you, and we support you in your happiness. Obviously, Julian makes you happy, or else you wouldn’t come back to us with so much joy. We support you like you support us. Let’s get these wrapped up” she took the tray into the shop and looked for something to carry the bread in.   
Asra followed.

Muriel, now alone in the kitchen, quickly took the leftover bread from the pan and shoved it in a shelf somewhere. Then he got started on the dishes. Asra came floating back in a minute later and kissed him on the cheek goodbye. Muriel blushed. Five minutes after that Roxanne came running in, “He’s gone!”

Muriel smiled and opened the cupboard where the bread was. Roxanne screeched with glee, “Yes, Heist was successful. Let’s go sit down and eat, I made some tea”. She grabbed one of the loaves and headed out of the kitchen. Muriel dried his hands and followed her.

Together they ate the pumpkin bread, and drank tea. They lounged for a bit until the tea was gone. They went in to go finish cleaning the kitchen, Roxanne scrubbed, and Muriel rinsed.

Something about this familiar rhythm and activity gave Roxanne a lighthearted feeling of bliss. She playfully nudged Muriel, and after a moment, he lightly elbowed her back. She took that as a challenge and leaned into him with her elbow. He pushed her back into her own area- he was stronger than she was after all. Roxanne smiled mischievously, and then hip checked him. Muriel looked appalled and splashed water at her. After that, it was all out war. Water went everywhere. Muriel tried to run away from her onslaught of tickles and splashes by running upstairs. She followed and tackled him. Muriel had the upper hand and tickled her relentlessly.

“Muriel stop!” She wheezed.

He laughed and released her. They both caught their breath, laying on the floor.

Roxanne suddenly felt a warm rosey feeling take over. Her cheeks turned pink as she listened to Muriel breathe. Her mind wandered to how that would sound with him under her- she slapped the floor. NO. Cannot go there.

Muriel looked over at her curiously as he felt a sting in his right hand but then faded, “Roxy?”

She blushed, “Sorry, nothing, I’m going to get up and make dinner” She smiled at him and jumped up to go to the kitchen.

“Muri” she purred, after considering their options, “You like sweet things, right?”

He grunted in confirmation. Inanna plopped on the floor next to him.

Roxanne putted around the kitchen, pulling out fruit, yogurt, some sort of brown liquid from the fridge and was scooping some sort of batter onto the stove. His eyes lingered on her form as she worked. A warm rosy feeling crept onto his limbs and settled near his crotch.

She was beautiful. His eyes lingered on the curve of her ass, and he blushed. An idea of holding her supple flesh flashed across his mind before he could block it. His vision no longer consisted of Roxanne, but instead the stove.

Roxanne hissed, “No no no no this is NOT the time! I need to see if I should flip this”

Muriel closed his eyes and after a moment, their respective visions were returned.

Roxanne frowned, “dang it, it’s burnt..” she waited a moment, “Muriel could you come over here in case that happens again? That way I can still watch the stove”.

He got up and stood behind her as she watched the pan. “Is this okay?” he asked.

“Yes, thank you” she stepped back slightly to reach the other counter to put the batter covered measuring cup down. As she did so, her back lightly touched his front and the both of their heart beats went soaring at the touch.

“S-sorry” she apologized and stepped back to tend to the stove. She took care after that not to touch Muriel. She was desperately trying to keep her mind off the fact that he was right behind her. It was a good thing though that he stood behind her, as their visions switched a few more times. After it happened twice more, Muriel understood what was happening. He tried to keep his thoughts strictly PG after that. It was hard though because of their proximity and this pooling tension building in his abdomen.

Roxanne made them triple decker peanut butter and jelly pancakes with yogurt and fruit and maple syrup. Muriel was in heaven. It was all the right amount of sweet, when it wasn’t interrupted by the feeling of liquid sliding down his throat. He wasn’t drinking all that much, but he noticed Roxanne was on her third beer. They were swapping senses now, but he had kept his thoughts PG and since their visions stopped switching.

Muriel stopped, “Roxanne is something wrong?”

Her face turned a bright pink. “No it’s fine, I’m just thirsty and the taste of the beer is nice” She averted her eyes. He got up and brought her some water, taking her beer away and chugging it down himself. Strangely enough, he hardly noticed it going down his throat. “Don’t drink too much” he instructed.

She stared in awe at him. He looked sexy taking charge and taking her drink- then she felt the alcohol going down her throat and realized that had been what he had felt the whole time.

“I’m sorry”, she said after a moment. “I don’t know why it’s happening so frequently now.”

Muriel shrugged, he was NOT going to tell her about the vision thing. “It’s okay”.

They settled into their evening routine and then it was time for bed. They snuggled into bed, but Inanna decided she wanted to sleep downstairs on her day bed. They let her, and it was just the two of them as they cuddled into bed.

Roxanne stayed a little distant. As soon as she closed her eyes all she could think about was how close Muriel was. There was this coiling tension in her stomach, and she wanted it to be released. She kept thinking about Muriel’s ragged breathing earlier. How they brushed each other. 

Roxanne peeked over at him, and then very, very quietly, snuck her hand down her front and dipped a finger into her nether regions.

Muriel moaned behind her.

The both of them froze. Roxanne understood now. She slipped another finger into herself, and she heard Muriel gasp.

She heard a slow movement, and then she felt a bright spark of pleasure, and she moaned back.

“is this okay?” she ventured, almost whispered.

He nodded and whispered, “More?”

She started fingering herself slowly, “Do you want more?” she asked in a dark sultry tone.

He responded by gripping himself and starting to pump his length.

Together they started to pleasure themselves, but really pleasuring each other. Sighs spilled from their lips as they both bucked their hips. After a few moments, Roxanne stopped, but Muriel kept going. There was this feral part of him that loved hearing her gasp.   
“Muriel!” she cried out and decided enough was enough. She ripped her own hand out of her pants and jumped onto his lap.

“Roxanne- I”

“Shhh” She pulled his hand out of his pants and then started to grind against him desperately. They bucked against each other, a pile of moans until it crested, and then they both climaxed. They lay together, breathing heavily against each other.

Muriel was the first one to gain his senses back. “Did that- are you okay?” he asked.

He heard a loud sniffle from his chest, and she rolled off him. “I’m so sorry Muriel. That wasn’t okay, I don’t know what came over me”. She breathed heavily, trying to calm her tears. “Im so sorry, I didn’t get explicit consent from you, and then I just forced you at the end and I’m so sorry” she hiccupped. “I understand if you don’t want to talk to me, and please don’t feel swayed by my tears, I don’t want to manipulate you into feeling sorry for me either and saying that was okay because it wasn’t and I’m so sorry”. She wiped her face with the bottom of her shirt and swallowed, looking over at Muriel prepared for the worst.

He looked crestfallen. “Roxanne no, I- I don’t know what came over me either. But I” his face turned a deep crimson. “I enjoyed it”.

“Are you sure?” she pressed.

“Y-yes”

She melted into the mattress, “Oh thank the arcana”.

Muriel laid back on the bed as well. Letting the awkward silence over come them. After what seemed to be a century, Roxanne quietly spoke. “Im really sorry, I don’t know what was wrong with me, I don’t normally have urges that strong”

Muriel was quiet for a moment, “You don’t think Asra put an aphrodisiac in the bread, do you”

“He did run upstairs to grab a bunch of condoms before he left” she said with slow realization.

They laid there in stunned silence for a long moment.

Roxanne broke it finally, “Bread or no bread… I…” her breath hitched, “I had fun” she ended on a slightly cheery tone.

Muriel lay there confused. “I thought couples did this sort of thing… are we?”

Roxanne turned to face him, “What are we?” she hummed lightly while she considered this. Her eyes dragged up his torso until their eyes met in the dark of the studio apartment. The longer she stared into his eyes the more anxious she got.

She closed her eyes and tried to settle her breathing, “Im nervous around you” she whispered.

Muriel frowned, “Im sorry, I can leave, I know im scary”

Roxanne shot a hand out to grab him, “You’re not scary”

He paused, “but aren’t you nervous?” he asked in confusion.

“Because you’re beautiful” she blurted out. Her face was bright red as she spilled the truth, “You’re this wonderful amazing person. You’re kind, sweet, caring, a goofball, and when you look at me I get these butterflies.”

Muriel turned the color of a beefsteak tomato at full ripe. “no, I don’t deserve- I- I killed people Roxy” he buried his face in his hands.

“I don’t care”

Tears welled, “You should care, there are people not around anymore because I-I”

Roxanne pried his hands away from his face and wiped his tears with her thumbs. “That’s not who you are anymore” she kissed his cheek. “The Muriel I know supports his friends, the Muriel I know gently takes care of those around him” she kissed his other cheek. “The Muriel I know memorized all my baking recipes so that he could better help me out in the kitchen. The Muriel I know helped me to better understand myself and calmed me down so I could use my power” she kissed his forehead. “The Muriel I know is cherished and loved, by Asra, and by Me”. She tucked some of his hair behind his ear.

Muriel stared at her. Why was she being so nice to him? He cupped her face with his hand.

“Can I kiss you?” She whispered.

“Why?” he muttered.

“Because I want to” she stared back. “But if you don’t want to kiss me, I understand” she averted her eyes to look away.

Muriel couldn’t believe it. He hesitated, but then pulled her chin to face him again. He closed his eyes and leaned in to press their lips together tenderly.

“Can I hold you?” he asked quietly.

Roxanne nodded, and he pulled her up against him.

“Can I ask for another kiss?” she asked sheepishly.

“You sure you want another?” he asked with the smallest of grins.

She nodded and pressed her lips against his. They exchanged small kisses, some of them a little deeper than the others, but they made out slowly and sweetly.

They held each other that night like they were clutching a life raft. Each too afraid of letting go.


End file.
